Folding push car or wheeled chair



Sept. 9, 1947. R. c. FORD FOLDING PUSHGAR OR WHEELED CHAIR 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed larch 8, 1946 Sept. 9, 1947. 0. FORD V FOLDIhGPUSHCAR OR WHEELED CHAIR Filed March 8, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedSept. 9, l947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

FQLDINGJPUSH'CAR ORWHTEELED' 01mm Reginald. Clarence-Ford, Aliesley,near Goventry,

- England;

ApplicatiomMarch 8, 1946, Serial No.,652',961,

'In Great Britain July 3, 1945 This invention relates to certainimprove-v merits in pushcars or wheeled chairs of the kind described inthe specification of my prion U. S. Patent No. 2,415,629, that i to say,of the kind comprising a collapsible structure adapted when extended tosupport a seat and back-rest, and resilient means hinged to saidstructure about a fore and aft axis: and extending along each sidethereof to carry a wheel at each end.

An object of thepresent invention is toprovide improved means forlockingthe collapsible structure in its extended state.

Another object, of the inyention is to provide 5.Glaims. (Cl. 280-39)increased lateral support forthe wheels in their position of use.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide improved-means forlocking the twoparts of' the folding handle in the extended state,

The locking means; employed, according to the present invention isarranged at each side of the collapsible structure and consists of a barone end of which is pivoted about'a horizontaltransverse axis at or nearthe middle of the bottom horizontal member of said structure. The otherend of this bar extends forward and carries one end of the foot rest.

The lower end of the front member at each side of the structure isextended so that when the structure is unfolded, the extension of saidfront member overlaps the bracket or hanger for the front wheel. In itsoperative position each locking bar occupies a forwardly and downwardlyinclined position, its forward part overlapping the extension of thefront member aforesaid thereby supporting the hanger at the outside. Thebottom edge of said bar may be notched to engage pegs on the hinge plateand on said extension. The said front wheel hangers are supportedlaterally on the inside by the ends of the foot rest when the chair isextended.

Lateral support for the hangers of the rear wheels when in use isprovided at the outside by extending the lower ends of the rear membersof the collapsible structure, and at the inside by means of a transversebar the end portions of which are secured to the said rear members andformed so that when the chair is in its exended state they overlap andsupport the said hangers on the inside.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side View of the improved pushcar or wheeled chair.

Figure 2 is a rear view thereof.

Figure 3 is a side view of the pushcar partially folded.

Figure 4 1s an underside view of Figure ,1.

Figure 5 is an undersideview of; Figure 3;.

Figures 6 and 7 are detail views on. an; enlarged scale of themeanswhereby the wheel; mountings are hinged. to the main frame.

Figures 8 and 9: are detail views on, an, enlarged scale ofthe means of;lateral support, provided for the-front and rear wheelsrespective-ly.

Figure 1021s a detail view on; a. further enlarged scale of the means.of locking the foldedhandle in: the extended position.

Referringto Figuresl and 2:it;wi-1l be seen. that. the pushcar orwheeled chaircomprises a-,-pair of collapsible frames spaced apartzinparallel planes constituting a collapsible superstructure each framebeing of parallelogrammic construction comprising upper and lowerhorizontal members a, b pivotally connected at their ends with front andrear members 0, d1 respectively.

For this purpose the members a may be, formed as arm rests and themembers b maypbe. united lay-integral. stays. inthe form of a singlepressing.

The back a of the chair is. carried by the: rear members d by means of ahorizontal bar e and is pivoted at its lower end to the seat 1 which, inturn is pivoted to the front members 0.

The improved locking means for locking the frames aforesaid in theextended position and hence the pushcar itself, comprises bars g freelypivoted on the horizontal members b at one end and carrying at the otherend the footrest or step board it in a pivoted manner. The bars orstruts g are provided with one or more notches which to lock the pushcarin the extended position are engaged with pins or studs 0 fixed toextensions 0 of the front members 0.

The provision of one or more notches enables the pushcar to be lockedand used at different angles, i. e. a choice of angle of the chair backto the seat 1 is given.

Each pair of wheels is pivotally mounted about a fore and aft axis, thewheels I of each pair being carried by brackets or hangers m from theends of blade spring 11 extending in a fore and aft direction and havinga hinged connection with the adjacent horizontal member I) of the frame.

For this purpose, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, a member 0, attached tothe top of the blade spring 14, has journalled in it a pin b about whichis pivoted a hinge plate q attached to the frame I) or integraltherewith.

The manner of hinging is such that the wheels can be folded underneaththe chair.

As shown in Figure 8, lateral support is given to front wheel hangersfrom the inside by the step board It and from the outside by means ofthe extensions of the front members 0.

The rear members d may be formed in one piece to provide the lowerhorizontal member d and formed to provide inside support for the rearwheel hangers in conjunction with outside support members d attached tothe members d, as shown in Figure 2 and in enlarged detail in Figure 9.

The folding handle has for its lower members the members d at the upperends of which are pivoted the upper member T which carry the ham dlebars. At or near the pivoted ends of the members d and r are attachedhorizontal bars d and T The lower bar d has pivoted at the back and neareach end catches t, t, which by engaging the back of the upper bar 1'lock the handle in the extended position, see Figure 10.

To fold the handle the catches t, t are turned in a downward directionto the position t t whereupon the handle can be folded back about thetwo pivoted joints.

To continue folding the pushcar the step-board h is lifted to lift thelocking bars 9 clear of the pins 0 as shown in Figure 3, whence thechair can be collapsed in a forward direction. At the same time theextensions 0 and rear lateral support means provided by the bar d andmembers d are raised clear of the wheel hangers. By turning thestep-board about its pivotal connection with the ends of the bars 9 thewheels are freed of all lateral support and can be folded underneath thechair.

The wheels when folded may normally tend to slightly overlap but bypushing them apart against the action of the blade spring they may becaused to be locked in position by the tyres or rims making firm contactwith one another due to the action of the blade springs, as shown inFigure 5.

I claim:

1. A folding pushcar having a collapsible superstructure and inwardlyfolding wheels mounted on resilient means, said car incorporating strutsadapted to secure the superstructure in its open position, and afootrest mounted on said struts and adapted to come between and securethe wheels in their open condition.

2. A folding pushcar having a collapsible superstructure and inwardlyfolding wheels mounted on blade springs, said car incorporating strutspivoted to a horizontal member of the superstructure and slotted toengage studs on a downward member, and a footrest mounted on said strutsand adapted to come between and secure the wheels in their opencondition.

3. A folding pushcar having a collapsible superstructure and inwardlyfolding wheels mounted on blade springs, said car incorporating strutspivoted to a horizontal member of the superstructure and slotted toengage studs on a downward member, a footrest mounted on said struts andadapted to come between and secure the wheels in their open condition,and an extension of a downward member of the superstructure adapted tolaterally support the wheel carrying frame.

4. A folding pushcar as claimed in claim 2 wherein the inwardly foldingwheels frictionally contact each other in the folded position by virtueof the supporting blade springs.

5. A folding pushcar as claimed in claim 2 having a folding handle whichhas pivotal catch members cooperating with horizontal bars for thepurpose set forth.

REGINALD CLARENCE FORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:-

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,109,848 Layton et a1. Sept. 8,1914 2,415,629 Ford Feb. 11, 1947

